Blending Tobacco Is It Just Me?

[renostarman]

Is it just me? I just re-started smoking, and must admit I'm "old school" -in that when I smoked in the 70's(college) I bought a can of John Rolfe, or Half@Half, or Prince Albert-etc etc. And smoked it until it was gone--I did add Latakia when I could get to a tobacco shop.

My question now is--now that I can afford to, I have bought several types of blending tobacco, Perique,-black Cav, Smyrna, etc and I just don't really taste the difference in what they add to a blend, and I've decided WHY even bother? What am I missing? I have a good palate, I measure carefully but I just don't' get it. ALL the reviews I read just rave on and on about what Perique does--i.e. "a pinch of it will erase all the bite in a Virgina blend". etc things like that--but I just don't notice ANY difference really-even when I smoke a bowl straight.
Also how can I add flavor without waiting for months and months? Do food extracts work? i.e. can add a small bottle of Mapeline to a pound of bulk tobacco and get a maple blend? How about peach brandy, or other liquors?
[Truman]It's what you learn AFTER you know it all the really matters"

 

[mso489]

I like many blends and home mixes with Lat and Perique, but personally I feel they are default condiments that are used too reflexively in too many blends. So though you will offend many Lat and Perique lovers, I think you are on to something in terms of enjoying blends and mixes without these, or without adding any extra for sure. Great things can be done with many other condiments ... just starting with dark-fired, various burleys, Cavendish, various Turkish and other oriental, and so on. I don't like what I taste as over-flavored aromatic, and tend toward non-aromatics in general, but have a few favorite aromatics that I think of as tobacco-forward. Any flavoring should support the tobacco and bring out its flavor; the tobacco should not be a carrier for mocha, citrus, chocolate, etc. I'll have that sort of thing for meals, not smoked.

 

[wyfbane]

I just scored 2.66 pounds of Mcclelland blending latakia. Prior to that I had never added condiment tobacco to a blend. I also agree that in many cases adding can be superfluous.
It reminds me of the folks that will add steak sauce to an Angus ribeye. Still tasty, but not necessary.

 

[saltedplug]

Some develop an accurate palate more quickly than others. Rather than adding condiments, you might focus on tasting what's in front of you.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Want magic? Add Macedonia leaf 50/50 with McClelland 40th Anniversary. Sublime. ::

 

[bnichols23]

Dang, plug, youse grumpy today. }

 

[prairiedruid]

Also how can I add flavor without waiting for months and months?

When I'm making a jar of Drunken Penguin (Distinguished Penguin + Rum) I add the rum and seal the jar. Every 3 days or so I give the jar a roll and it's ready to smoke in about 3 weeks. Adding flavor or blending tobacco takes time to get the balance right. I suggest having a notebook so you can track your progress as you experiment.

 

[aldecaker]

I like a roughly 70/20/10 mix of Carter Hall, Virginia, and Latakia. Sort of an English Codger Burley, if you will. I've used a lot of different VAs, and a lot of different Lat bombs in place of blending Lat, and it all turns out pretty good.
If all you can taste are OTC codger burleys anyway, you're in luck. Straight out of the pouch, and you're in business.

 

[bnichols23]

Agreed, alde'. Or he could be like me & just do the Latakia straight -- if he can't taste the difference then, his tongue is dead. -grin-

 

[pappymac]

It's questions like this that want me to answer, "YES! It's just you."
Seriously, everyone's taste buds are different and what they taste and can tolerate may be different from someone else.

 

[jitterbugdude]

Are you adding tobacco to unprocessed whole leaf or to already processed (commercial) tobacco? If the latter, there are enough flavoring agents in them that you might not be adding enough of your tobacco to offset the chemical flavoring. If the former, what are you blending?

 

[renostarman]

Thanks for the response everyone--it was my first post here, it's nice to know that one can get answers or opinions replied to as you have.

And I guess the bottom line is-it's fun to experiment with blending and all the different types of tobacco--which I will, gosh I can't understand why I went for so long without smoking my pipes-AND I'm really happy I didn't throw them out!

Especially when discovering the prices of new pipes these days. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT??? I bought Savinelli's and Peterson's when I was a broke college kid on the G.I. bill. NOW??? I guess it's estate pipes and corn cobs only for me.

I HATE to talk like and old guy-(which I am :|,lol) but three or 4 hundred bucks for nice pipe?

 

[renostarman]

I've been reading about flavoring tobacco; spritzing liquors, and extracts-that type of thing. And I'm wondering about spices? Has anyone tried cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, those kinds of things? Will they work?
[It's what you learn AFTER you know it all, that really matters]

 

[bnichols23]

RSM, I GUARANTEE you, opinions are oneof the things we have absolute *most* of around here! (Oh, btw, do hop over to the new members into forum & introduce yourself there!) Bunch of old guys like us around here, a good number of younger folks, a bunch in between, female & male.
One of the most interesting things about the hobby is that at least 70% of it is subjective. Everybody's got techniques & stuff that work for them.
BTW, I agree with you -- coming from the 60s perspective, prices of new pipes can be high as a cat's back. -laugh- The good thing for me is that I know the pipes I like, & most of them are from the 60/70/80s era, which means they're the ones I go for. And that usually means estates. I've been rebuilding my collection with stuff like that, some 40+ in the last few months. Don't even know how much I've spent, but most were bargains & every single one of them was worth it. }
Welcome!
Bill

 

[renostarman]

Thanks Bill both for the info and the welcome--and I will take your advice, I should have went there first(the newbie thread)in the first place and got low down on what to do and ask here. LOL it's just I had my mixing bowls out and was about to commence with my Dr Jekyll mad scientist routine when I suddenly thought "hey why don't you ask a couple questions first before you ruin another pound of tobacco."?

Thanks again!

Chuck

 

[Chasing Embers]

I guess it's estate pipes and corn cobs only for me.

Over the past three decades, I've seen new pipes skyrocket. Over the past couple of years I've been restoring estates, and they're some of the best smokers I own.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Estates: for sure.
In days of yore, some smokers would pay folks to break in their new pipes....

 

[bnichols23]

Hey, Chuck, "a rabbit's gotta do what a rabbit's gotta do." At our age if you don't do something while you're thinking about it, it probably ain't gonna get done!

 

[newbroom]

One of the enjoyable parts to this 'hobby' for me has been the variety of both tobacco and pipes I've had the opportunity to smoke.

I've got many estate pipes, from all over the world, and some of my most often smoked are Grabow's.

Cobs and burley is usually a winner.

I like the tastes of the different varietals.

One's palate does 'evolve' or at the least change.

 

[josephcross]

Cobs are the way to go, and besides Meerschaum pipes, are the only pipes(at this point for me)that I would buy brand new.